The government of Macau has fined City of Dreams for supposedly violating the city’s law that prohibits smoking in all public places. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., the company that operates the casino resort, will have to pay the amount of MOP100,000 or US$12,524.
Macau’s Health Bureau said in a special statement that the operator did not place “no smoking” signs in one of the areas in its casino, even after it had been ordered to do so by the regulatory body.
As it was pointed out in the statement, the decision for the fine was made after the casino was thoroughly investigated by the Health Bureau, due to reports that a smoking area had been established on the mass casino floor.
The gambling operator, however, refused to comment on the matter.
There has been a continuous dispute between Melco Crown and the Health Bureau, which is in charge of the implementation of the smoking ban, and this fine is yet another proof of this.
The bureau announced that it had first been informed about the establishment of an illegal smoking area within the premises of City of Dreams back in October 2014. The regulatory body detected this only mere days after the new regulations on smoking on main casino floors came into effect.
To be more precise, the new law was introduced on October 6. It states that smoking in the main areas of gambling venues is prohibited. Players and visitors are allowed to smoke only within enclosed lounges, established for the purpose. And these lounges should not feature slot machines and gaming tables. VIP players, however, are still able to smoke in the rooms that are intended for them.
Immediately after the new law was implemented, local officials pointed out that gambling operators would be allowed to establish smoking areas that feature slot machines and gaming tables and are not located on the main floor. Only particular games will be available in these areas and only certain players will be permitted access to them.
Casino operators believed they were allowed to set up such areas for both VIP players and premium mass players. This is why the Health Bureau further explained that smoking in premium areas for mass players would be absolutely prohibited.
Melco Crown and the bureau seem to have different views on what the newest smoking rules entail. The operator believes that its operations comply with the administrative region’s regulations and that all the smoking areas within City of Dreams have been approved back in 2012 by Macau’s Chief Executive.
